Recipe courtesy of Gale Gand

Lemon Crostata with Fresh Figs and Goat Cheese

Getting reviews...
Any time a dish -- sweet or savory -- doesn't taste quite perfect, or seems to need a little spark of something, I reach for a lemon. Lemon juice and zest breathe new life into flavors, bring zippy contrast to the sweetness of fruit, and add an element of springy freshness to almost any recipe. Here, I use zest to pick up the flavor of a basic tart crust – and it also perfumes the figs, mild goat cheese, and honey that are dotted on top. Crostata is my favorite quick-trick for making fruit tarts, because you can skip the tart pan altogether. It's an Italian flat-hand formed tart. On top, you can use almost any jam plus soft fruit or berries, as long as it isn't too juicy (orange sections or grapes, for example, would be too juicy).
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 2 hr
  • Prep: 30 min
  • Inactive: 1 hr
  • Cook: 30 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Share This Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Make the dough: Blend the flour, sugar, and lemon zest at low speed in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and continue blending at low speed until the mixture is coarse and sandy-looking. Add the beaten egg and blend just until the mixture comes together. Form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  3. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a rough circle, about 8 inches in diameter. The dough may seem crumbly but you can just push it back together and make patches if necessary. Transfer to the prepared pan. All around the circle, fold in the outer 1/2-inch of the pastry to form a naturally raised, "rustic" edge to the tart. Don't press the edge down.
  4. Using your fingers, break the goat cheese into small pieces, sprinkling it over the bottom of the tart (not the edges). Arrange the fig halves in concentric circles over the goat cheese and drizzle the figs with honey. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the underside of the tart crust is browned.

Choose a topic to find related recipes.

Fudge Factor

Review: Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's Chocolate Bar Nov 16, 2012

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert have teamed up with master chocolatier Christopher Curtin to create the "Good & Evil" chocolate b …

The Craziest Chocolate Creations for American Chocolate Week Mar 17, 2013

It’s officially American Chocolate Week. Check out photos of mind-blowing chocolate creations.

Train Frontman Pat Monahan's Dark Chocolate Obsession Feb 11, 2013

By: Cameron Curtis

Train frontman Pat Monahan, an avid chocolate lover, shared with us his top five reasons for eating dark chocolate.

Over-the-Top-Delicious Treats to Satisfy Your Food Obsession

Are you infatuated with ice cream? Do you lust over lobster? Swoon at the sight of chocolate? Here's the best recipe for each food …

Sifted: Plan-Ahead Valentine's Day Desserts Feb 6, 2013

By: Lauren Miyashiro

Get our take on the best in food news, recipes and more from around the web, including the best Valentine's Day recipes.

Chocolate Desserts

Indulge in our decadent chocolate desserts, from cookies and cakes to puddings, souffles and truffles.

How to Chop and Melt Chocolate

Lots of recipes call for melted chocolate. Follow these step-by-step instructions to do it properly.

Essentials: Chocolate Basics Sep 1, 2016

Satisfy that chocolate craving in your very own kitchen. All you need is baking chocolate and a little know-how. It also helps to …